August 24, 2014

Aging in America - Social Distancing

The bias against the aging is obvious in professional life. In Silicon Valley, you're finished at 39. But there's more to the story. As a social being, the aging also lose their value.

Walk into the typical social event. There are not celebrities there. No very wealthy. Only the middle class and a bit above. Members of the group gravitate to those from Generations X, Y (Millennials) and Z. That's the natural social flow.

The aging have to figure out, all over again, how to socialize. Of course, they want to be in demand. But they're not. If they attempt to enter the more youthful groupings they could be, at the very least, ignored. There could also be worse-case scenarios in which they are downright rebuffed. How dare you assume you have something to offer.

It took me about 18 months to size up this developing situation in my social life and hit about points of entry into groupings at events. Trying too hard is fatal. Hovering is just about right.